Temperatures in some low spots to which heavier cold air gravitates and pools were reported even colder. The old-fashioned thermometer of one Willow-area resident was reading 44 degrees below zero on Thursday.

Retreat!

It was so cold in Anchorage that Alaska Pacific University canceled practice for its junior Nordic ski team. Anchorage fat-tired cyclists – fat-bikes having become the winter in-thing in the state’s largest city – were pleading “if only it would warm up a tiny bit.”

By the third day, the minimum temperature for the day was below zero and the daily temperature was 15 degrees below normal. On the fourth day, the day’s average temperature fell to below zero for the first time, and the day went a full 20 degrees below the norm.

And it’s pretty much gone on that way since. There have been a couple occasions when day-time temperatures crept above zero, but the daily average has stayed 20 to 22 degrees below normal.

“The forecast development of anomalous ridging near Alaska leads to modest probabilities favoring above-average temperatures; this stands in rather stark contrast to the bitter, anomalous cold currently gripping much of the state,” the federal agency observed. “Below-average temperatures are more likely to persist into early February only over the Alaska panhandle.”

Anywhere between 47-58 below out this way for the past week, 30 below is going to feel pretty nice after this spell. Had to coax my propane to stay lit on the the cook stove a few times before it would finally start flowing again to fry my eggs. Frost coming through the door locks, thought I wasn’t going to get out one day. I did, it just had me going for a bit. You know how those flashbacks of opening your door to only find a wall of snow once you got it open hit you. That’s why it’s always good to have two doors.

Another war, now there’s a surprise. Recalls and impeachments who would of thought.
Sarcasm on my part there’s another surprise.

You know the only good thing about all this government cr@p is that it doesn’t take a person long to get caught up on it, even if you haven’t been paying attention for awhile. In fact you can almost predict all our government BS anymore before it happens. I think I could predict the government better than a weatherman can predict the weather.

Here’s some massive amount of crazy courtesy of Greta and friends via the self acknowledged propaganda machine the guardian in respect to the World Economic Forum to be held in Davos:

“We demand that at this year’s forum, participants from all companies, banks, institutions and governments immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction, immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.

Greta reads almost like hard-edged John Belushi comedy. Like a Seinfeld soup-Nazi. And really, who is responding or reacting to this temper-tantrum stuff? She’s not a rock-star with kids, her face isn’t on school backpacks & lunchboxes. Not that I’m seeing. She’s just a media-event, a ‘tool’ even, is what I’m seeing.

Did she really “speak to” the UN, in New York? I watched the video. She and her people are sitting in a row of what look like nice kitchen-chairs. There’s a throbbing-blue wall behind them. What the heck is that lurid wall about? She’s wearing a bright-pink dress. And she famously snarls and jabs with a finger.

But I never saw any shots or pics of an *audience*. Whatever this venue was, it was certainly nothing like what we see when other people give a speech at the UN. Speeches are given in a giant room, stories high, acres big. Speech-givers stand at a podium, and pictures show the audience, what a grand setting is receiving the august words.

I’m going to be watching closer this time. Does she actually “speak to” Davos? Or do they have her back in some ‘multi-purpose room’, holding her own microphone, sitting on dining furniture … while imagery shows no sign of an audience, never cuts away to pan the room? Why not for Greta?

Because what I’m thinking/suspecting is, the media knows this is a total sham, and they’re playing along with it, bare minimum.

The Act is already wearing thin. She tried to exploit the fires in Australia, and their PM firmly, barely-politely, put her in her place. Then in the next day or so, it comes out that they’ve arrested 183 people for arson … *people* are setting these fires!

I ask you, seriously, which people are going out to set fires in Australia?

The Australian fires are just a furtherance of the same eco-warrior policies that led to the massive California fires, and a number of the fires here in Alaska just this last summer. The interesting thing is that the people who created the policies where-in fuel loading is decreed by force of government are now blaming the climate instead of following common sense and handling the obvious problem that was created by man. We’ve allowed eco-warriors to create a problem and we’ve allowed the same eco-warriors to tell us that we are to blame for the problem they created.

Great article about the value of controlled burns in Australia, and the consequences of … being silly.

It is religion, really. And it’s fine, that some folks feel like that. The rub is, they can’t be allowed to take over everything, any more than we want the Catholics or Mormons calling the shots for society.

They need to go to their room, shut the door, do what makes them feel good … and please don’t tell me about it! 😉

Steve-O/Ted
And who’s going to pay for all that easy sounding prescribed burns.
Local muni/borough prop owners?Course state woodlands will just come out of the general funds that aren’t around.
And of course Fed land will be payed by the lower 48,cuz we loves us some free $’s

Up-front, we find out whether the concerns are indeed with the economics, budget and cost factors. Many objections pointing to this, that and the other, are just slightly-cloaked environmentalist-obstruction, and NIMBY-cleverism.

#1, planned & prescribed burning was formerly rolled-into other management & operations patterns. Loggers did and paid for significant parts of it, anywhere a buck can be made off wood. Ranchers and grazers saw to in many open interior districts (grazing doubles +). In farm-country, spring-burn took care of much else. Etc.

#2, the real reason that we stopped burns & burning, was just the smoke. Period. There’s really nothing else for grownups to evaluate. There came a time, a moment, when indeed rather suddenly, ‘Oh gosh – the smoke’! This coincided with Sen. Al Gore & Dr. James Hansen’s great exploit on the floor of Congress … and serious Eco-types, leaders, chimed in, ‘And the polluting, dangerous CO2’!

Like the professional & management aspects of getting burning done right, with a minimum mainly of unintended wildfire … smoke is really just another factor that can also be addressed and managed. Watch the wind, moisture,density-altitude and inversion-lofting conditions … keep it up & away from main population centers. Be quick about it.

Big clue, Dave – and the reason it used to be done so much – is it’s a whole lot cheaper, more effective, and downright nicer all around, to burn regularly & systematically, than to deal with the (multiple) consequences of not-burning. WE burned for hundreds of years, and NATIVES for thousands. Because it was the sensible & good thing to do, and it was stupid not to.

Alaska is a special case. Big step will be, particularly around the cities & priority developed rural areas, increasing woodland-activities, in State Forests. Much of is not merchantable as timber, but there are incentives and tactics. Firewood is very popular. Recent harvest rates on merchantable AK state stands have hovered in the low-single digits.

In AK, it’s explosive conifers, vs ‘fire-break’ hardwoods. Suppress spruce, go with deciduous broadleaf species. Because the ground freezes hard, equipment can use to do much more than elsewhere, with minimal damage.

For what we’re most concerned about, today, you don’t have be burning every year, much less spring-and-fall, as you would see in old agricultural – and some old time urban! – situations. That means you can wait until conditions are really optimal … “Ok! Let’s go!”

Who do you think pays to fight these massive fires and replace lost infrastructure? Think of it as preventative maintenance, or like taking a pill to treat a medical condition. Or we can keep with the insanity and let it all burn down. Letting small fires consume small amounts of fuel is better than allowing catastrophic fire destroy entire landscapes.

Controlled burns work in some environments like National Parks and stands of old growth, but the forests in most of Alaska are currently a mix of overgrown black spruce stands peppered with large amounts of rapidly decaying white spruce.
No one (commercially) is willing to spend money to log this low value timber.
Starting a wood pellet business in the Valley may help “chip away” at the problem but the new industry would need government subsidies to keep it a float (just like the oil and fishing industry in AK).
The only other safe option is to mechanically cut in large fire breaks around residential interfaces, this would be accomplished mostly with “hydro axes” and mulching units.
The benifits of mulching the soil includes the ability to regenerate more deciduous trees and deterring black spruce regrowth.

Alaska is, as you accurately note, a special case; multiple special cases, for all forms of prescribed, controlled, fuels-reduction etc burning.

#1. – Protection of urban areas. Alaska has already had several close calls. This has to start far beyond the residential interface you correctly point to as also essential (2 things, related but distinct).

#2. – Pushing #1 hard, is the chronic, long-burn fire-season. Bummer! It’s demoralizing to be under the pall of smoke, long-term. I believe “this” will be a/the leading driver of change & new policies, going forward. We need to knock-down, ‘turn off’ the weeks & months-long sources of smoke. Psychologically, not ecologically. Attempts to block this change, will lead to political rejection/failure.

The vast undeveloped areas of Alaska, so beloved, are also of course what makes effective fire-policy such a challenge. Yeah-huh. If it was easier to get into these areas, to get around & work on the ground, then there would not be these months-long smoke-conditions.

There is opposition to creating access into remote areas, but that’s the solution, right there. ‘No-no-no’ has to suck it up a little, and become ‘Do it right’. And yes, it can be done right, and with multiple attractive benefits, to-boot.

I think the Haul Road & others have demonstrated that roads can exist … and wildlife too. I think we have seen, proven, that the liabilities that come with better access, can indeed be effectively controlled & Regulated. It’s time to drop the line that access has to be the death of Nature … Southcentral with it’s heavy pressures shows this is feasible & achievable.

In Alaska, wildland trail systems, anything under 60 inches wide, equipment limited to 1,500 lbs, is very successful & immensely popular. The trail-system design/network can be tweaked, and fire-fighting techniques & equipment modified, to use trails for access, instead of automotive/logging roads. This could really be a ‘frickin monstrous’ Win-Win. Which of course some resist, because they know it would be so awesome!

We also know that intervention greatly improves habitat. This can be burns, but logging works great too … along with various mechanized methods, as you describe. Carrying-capacity for game can be multiplied, sure, but even better the ecological diversity & resilience are also greatly enhanced. Some pretend otherwise, but that’s overtly anti-science.

There is a real Science, too, to fire-management, and it is fully-applicable to Interior/remote Alaska. The main trick is, to divide the great hinterlands into Districts, and then create fire-breaks which stop burns that originate in one area, from continuing on into a neighboring area. You still get (use!) fires … but they don’t go on and on and on … and a little discrete (modernized) napalm would then work great – with no boots on the ground.

The big, HUGE advantage in Alaska, is that its hardwood ecology – birch & willows mostly, with some poplar & alder & aspen – can easily be managed to form very effective fire-breaks. Notably effective, across the North. Once up, these natural barriers to fire are long-term, even permanent. Tundra is another topic, but also manageable.

Some of the best hunting-grounds in Alaska, are now roaded areas. The very big Base south of Fairbanks, is heavily harvested. The military wanted roads in there, so they could stay on top of things, for their mission. But they (with ADF&G) permit entry, for firewood cutting, fishing, hunting and trapping … it’s wildly popular.

Again, as elsewhere, a big part of the Truth, is the culture-conflict between Urban-based thinking, and dispersed rural lifestyles. Logging is supposedly an ecological horror … but actually, yeah-huh, this is a ploy – propaganda! – to undercut Life in the Countryside. For political reasons, now shown to have limits. Logging-economics are always site & stand specific, and there are feasible sites/locales, across AK. Small-scale, mostly.

Healthy society requires both a well-developed Urban contribution, and a robust & self-aware rural component. When we’ve restored the later, fire-problems will recede greatly in importance. Alaska – with its prized outdoor orientation – could play a leading roll in this process.

Ted,
I agree with a lot of what you said.
It was a shame that the state decided to close all of the fire break (trails) that was put in around the McKinley fire last year.
After the fire was contained they had contractors and firefighters drop trees across dozens of miles of trail.
I thought the dozer wide trail around the fire break would have made for good recreational opportunities and future access for wildfires.
Unfortunately the state of Alaska said “no,no,no”.
So you can see what we are up against.

Since this cold snap started every weather forecast has shown it warming up in 2-3 days, every day, then the next day the forecast says it will warm up in 2-3 days, and the next day, and the next day. The problem is when it doesn’t warm up as forecasted are we just to keep believing those making the faulty forecasts over and over? On top of that it has actually been much colder than forecasted, when the current temperature is lower than forecasted low for the day they have missed the mark. If the weatherman were my accountant he wouldn’t be my accountant for long.

When it’s warm anthropogenic global warming and climate change is to blame. But when it’s cold, what, then it’s just weather. You can’t have it both ways, it doesn’t work that way. The climate and the weather change, we have historical records that show this. Those who believe in anthropogenic global warming simply discount science to push their belief system, full with religious fervor, on to others.

“The United States looked to be moving toward war with Iran this week”
I would say that when you launch multiple air strikes in multiple countries against multiple high ranking military officials of a specific foreign nation, you are at “war” with that country…sure there is not the dramatic “storming the beaches” like Normandy, but the end result is the same…loss of life and political turmoil.

Steve, have you forgotten Iran has been at war with America since 1979 and has killed thousands of Americans since? Have you forgotten Iran attacked our embassy, US soil, just days before Trump killed that Iranian “high ranking official” swine who had the balls to travel opennly in Iraq to plan another attack. Yet here we are, YOU taking the side of the Death Cult. Good job Steve.

Bryan,
The only thing that has killed more Iraqis than Iranian violence over the last several decades is U.S. Sanctions…but of course sanctions never leave “blood on your hands”.
Maybe Trump can take some advice from how Reagan de-escalated the situation with the former U.S.S.R?
“It was Ronald Reagan who said that at Reykjavík in Iceland: we can step back.
You know, after calling them monsters–oh no, we can.”

Steve, you cannot really de-escalate from people who want to kill you can you? Were 72 virgins waiting openly for the Soviet “Death Cult” like they are for the barbaric troglodyte’s from hell? Comparing psychotics who blow themselves and others up for fun to the Soviets is a bit of a stretch.

Bryan,
I am on topic.
Remember that Craig wrote:
“The United States looked to be moving toward war with Iran this week”
You know that I never play into specific weather events…I monitor our changing Climate.
These air strikes cannot be overlooked.
“Congress needs answers,” tweetedRep. Ro Khanna, D.-Calif., who has been critical of the U.S. role in the Saudi-led intervention.
“What was the full extent of the Trump administration’s plans to kill Iranian officials? How does the attempted killing in Yemen have anything to do with an imminent threat?”
This starts to look more like a “coup” and less like an isolated incident.

Steve, any word from those Democrats you quoted on Obama killing Americans citizens overseas, with missles, without Due Process? Any word from those same Democrats when Obama bombed the most countries since WW2?

Can you please clarify this remark for me “You know that I never play into specific weather events…I monitor our changing Climate.” On the article Craig wrote 4 days ago and that you commented on 3 days ago you said “the Poconos showed 51 degrees on Christmas” https://craigmedred.news/2020/01/07/icy-north/#comments for a guy who claims to never play into specific weather events, you sure seem to play into specific weather events. It’s been 3 entire days since you wrote that comment, I suspect if I were to look back another article or two I could easily find more examples of you picking specific weather events to push your narrative.

Ted,
You need to update your files on Iran.
The missile(s) that brought down the Ukrainian plane were not some antiquated system…it is the best that Russia has for sale these days.
A quick search online of “Russian Tor missile systems” will show you the only two countries who have more units than Iran are China and Russia…and Iran has almost as many units as China.
Venezuela has almost as many units as Iran (do you see the trend happening here)?
Americans need to stop pounding the military complex drum and return to modern diplomacy.
Trump cannot orchestrate multiple attacks throughout the world and not think there will not be repercussions.
(Luckily no Americans were killed in the missile attacks on two U.S. bases in Iraq)
This sure looks like a modern proxy war to me.
What about the Iranian who was targeted in Libya but lived?
What about the military soldier who was killed in the Libya drone strike?
Why are we dropping bombs in Libya anyways?
Does Congress do anything to limit Pentagon violence these days?
The timing of this escalation right in the middle of Trump’s Impeachment Trial shows what the true motivation was (Wag the Dog we call it these days)…sadly 176 innocent lives are now lost due to escalating “the fog of war”.
My thoughts and prayers to all the families who lost love ones aboard the Ukrainian flight…what a tragedy.
Don’t forget the U.S. “mistakenly” took out an Iranian domestic aircraft in 1988, so mistakes can happen when tensions are high and not only by countries in the middle east.

The wag the dog conspiracy theory is so full of holes only the truly inane are pushing it. The entire impeachment is a joke, first Pelosi said they didn’t have time to do a complete investigation and needed to ram it through, now she needs to hold the articles of impeachment for over a month. Senator Feinstein said “The longer it goes on, the less urgent it becomes. So if it is serious and urgent, send them over. If it is not, do not send it over.” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith said “At the end of the day, just like we control it in the House, Mitch McConnell controls it in the Senate. It does not look like that is going to happen. I think it is time to send the impeachment to the Senate and let Mitch McConnell be responsible for the fairness of the trial. He ultimately is.” Shortly after he said that Pelosi had him walk his comments back. Democrats are calling for Nancy to forward the articles to the Senate as she has overplayed her hand.

The main reason the wag the dog conspiracy theory is just so silly, nobody cares about the impeachment charade. Democrats backed themselves into a corner and are busy punching themselves in the face trying to get out of that corner. Seriously, trying to make a martyr out of a terrorist responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans is not a good look for the left. Trying to make this a wag the dog moment is yet another blunder in a series of massive blunders on the part of the left, trying to turn it into WWIII was the first, trying to make a terrorist a martyr was next. When will the left realize that standing in a corner repeatedly punching themselves in the face only results in having black eyes?

Bryan,
I don’t find the Democrats any less Guilty than the Republicans in Congress when it comes to the new paradigm of “endless war”.
Remember that the house just “wagged the dog” themselves and passed a non- binding resolution to limit Trump’s war powers on Iran.
We both know it was just a “yellow flag” tossed on the field for their constitutes…
Pelosi has never met a Pentagon budget she did not like.
You must admit the timing on these attacks was right when the MSM was “Impeachment Focused”…not so much this week.
“What the nation needs to know most urgently is whether there was any substantive intelligence indicating that Suleimani was orchestrating a major military or terrorist campaign against the United States.
As former policymakers with extensive experience in countering Iran, we are struck by statements from within the administration suggesting that there was none.
The natural conclusion is that, with this attack, Trump used the unparalleled power of his office to authorize this strike to distract Americans from his impeachment. ”

As Hillary would say “what diff does it make”?? Salemani was an enemy cobatant.. “What the nation needs to know most urgently is whether there was any substantive intelligence indicating that Suleimani was orchestrating a major military or terrorist campaign against the United States.”

Iran has been at war with America for a long time . Even a low grade infection is still an infection. Newspeak doesn’t need to be used by intelligent life . War is war even if the citizens are to preoccupied to be fully aware . Call it what you like, it’s war . Iran has been prodding the bull for years . They were behind the killings of our recent citizens in Iraq. Thus Trump had to respond. Iran truly started this recent debacle. Also the damage to the embassy. Iran got what it deserved in an incrediblely reserved surgical fashion. Trump played it well .They deserved far worse. American military rocks. The Democrats are off their rocker and truly pushing the envelope of hypocrites and disloyal anti American element. They showed their colors as well as their lack of foresite . I will enjoy seeing them all voted out. Trump has done well to expose the disloyal brainless rats . Even now who are so deranged as to try and put Iran’s own mistake of shooting down a civilian jetliner onto trump , only idiots fall for such a scheme . There are many . Are you one ? Trump showed restraint. Iran showed incompetence. Trump knew how this would play out . He holds all the cards and the Dems show how irrational and stupid they are . As to the weather – climate Alarmists should go outside and enjoy the super warm climate . Put their money where their mouth is and wear T shirts ! What a bunch of fools . Earths 2 Degrees warmer in 100 years ? That’s nothing. Space is cold . Be glad we have that 2 degree buffer if the sun has issues. Climate alarmists are like 3 year old children. Short memory. Ooh today is hot ! The earth will burn ! Never mind the idiots who equate sea level with land altitude change . Texas and Louisiana sea levels are rising it’s scary global warming, uhh dude the land sank look it up . The sea didn’t rise to any appreciable degree. New speak . How stupid can they get . Please get your taxes , money back from your teachers , it was definitely misused . Climate alarmists . Another fad . Good grief .

Do you think that Iran shooting down a civilian aircraft from Ukraine with numerous nationalities represented on board is an act of war? Or is it ok since Iran was attacking Iraqi military bases that housed Americans to get back at America for killing a terrorist?

We’ve been at war with Iran since Iran declared war on us, as much as you want this to be WWIII it is not.

Protesters were calling for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to resign with one protester holding a sign sayin “F–k you & your mistake,”.

And here in America we have an entire political party siding with the Iranian government and trying to make a terrorist a martyr, even after having shot down a civilian airplane killing 176 innocent people.